These bees prefer to nest in wood, often utilizing premade insect burrows and adapting them to fit their needs. Photo by Katja Schulz ( CC BY 2.0)Īugochlora (pictured above) are an exception to the rule when it comes to Halictidae nesting behaviors.

Females are entirely iridescent green, but males typically have yellow and black stripes on their legs and abdomen.Īugochlora sp. Agapostemon splendens is a common Florida species. Most Agapostemon (pictured above on Blanketflower) are solitary ground nesters, but will occasionally nest in close proximity to one another. These bees belong to four different genera within the Halictidae family ( Agapostemon, Augochlora, Augochlorella, and Augochloropsis), and are active almost year round if it remains warm enough. Some species are entirely metallic in color, while others sport attractive brown and white stripes on their abdomen.

The metallic green bees are easily spotted with their flashy green colors, and are relatively abundant in urbanized areas. But unlike honey bees, all sweat bees retain the ability to lay eggs. Some sweat bees form primitive “colonies” with one bee taking on the role of queen. A gardener can easily attract these bees to their yard by planting wildflowers and leaving untilled soil exposed for nesting sites.īelow is a description of some of the most commonly spotted genera in Florida. Sweat bees are important pollinators of our wildflowers and crop plants, some of which include stone fruits, sunflowers and alfalfa. Most are ground nesters, and many are active year round. What’s more is that many of these communal nesting behaviors are often dependent upon factors such as time of year, altitude, geographic location, climate and floral resources.įlorida is home to over 60 species of sweat bees. In fact, Halictids display some of the most diverse nesting behaviors of any bee group including solitary, communal, semi-social and primitively eusocial nesters. Nearly all species nest in the ground, but they exhibit varying levels of social behavior. Most female Halictids carry pollen on their hind legs (tibia and femur).

This large group includes both extremely picky foragers (specialists) and vast generalists. The majority of sweat bees are brown or black in color, but a handful are a beautiful metallic green, blue or even purple. Sweat bees vary greatly in appearance, ranging from very small to medium in size. With well over 3,500 known species, Halictidae (also called Sweat bees, Metallic green bees, or Halictids) are found on every continent and thrive in nearly every habitat. It’s believed the bees value sweat as a resource for salts and proteins, which they save for their developing young. On a hot summer day, sweat bees will seek out overheated humans to lap up their sweat.